8 Best Studio Headphones You Should Never Miss

It is hardly surprising to see a music enthusiast become a music producer, is it? However, to make a name for yourself in an industry already packed with artists and producers, you must have sharp ears and even sharper headphones since the act of producing music relies heavily onheadphones and speakers. All things considered, these two are the only devices that connect you to the music you’re producing.

If you want to produce immaculate music with a blatant display of emotion, studio headphones must be painstaking when reproducing the original recording. An excellent pair of headphones can have a significant impact in creating top-quality studio recordings and general listening satisfaction, especially for home studios where you don’t often see well-treated rooms for acoustics, which often limits the precision of open-air speaker systems.

While there are several headphones that are tagged “professional monitors” in the market, only a few of them can live up to the tag. Here, we have chosen the 8 best studio headphones suitable for song recording and mixing. These headphones have displayed supreme detailing and have proven to be real value for money.

Best Studio Headphones Reviews

We will still discuss the buying guide for studio headphones later in the article, but for now, we are going to review the best mixing headphones, best recording headphones, best wireless headphones, best quality headphones, best-looking headphones and best affordable headphones, among others.

1. Best Mixing Headphones

Being an upgrade on the past models, the Shure SRH 1540 is one first-class option with regards to best quality studio headphones. In any case, what about their mixing performance? The first thing you will notice when you get hold of this pair is their exceptional build quality. You will instantly realize that you aren’t holding regular headphones. The material used for the construction of the headphones is airplane-grade aluminium, which gives them both sleek look and incredible durability.

Despite the fact that they are built with metals, these headphones have a lightweight nature to them. Weighing just 0.63 lbs, with a cushioned headband and earcups, this pair of headphone is wonderfully comfortable to wear. While it is quite easy to get the highs and mids right, the low can be problematic because it needs more space to reverberate. However, the Shure SRH 1540 provides users with adequate bass.

Once again, Shure has proved their worth. This offer from the reputable company not only has top quality construction, it also delivers natural and balanced audio. If you can comfortably afford the $500 cost, this headphone is one of the best studio monitor headphones on the market and we totally recommend it.

Pros:

Lightweight

Sturdy build

Premium materials

Excellent audio

Cons:

At 6ft, the cable is quite short

2. Best Recording Headphones – Open Back

Senniheiser is one of the leading companies when it comes to the manufacturing of top-quality headphones, and their already huge reputation is sure to be further enhanced with the amazing Sennheiser HD 600 Studio Recording Headphones from them. While these headphones will probably have a few leaks here and there, the other features surely make up for it.

With a body made of plastic and partially metal, the comfort offered by this headphones is never in doubt. Regardless of how long you wear this, you won’t get fatigued or end up with a headache. The manufacturer paid attention to details in the construction of this headphones, and that can be seen with the detachable oxygen-free copper cable that comes with the headphone.

When you pop these on your head, you will immediately get the impression that these are more than your regular studio headphones, this is premium. The general quality and the sound delivered by these headphones is incomparable to any rival model in its price range.

Packed with little neat features, and providing top quality sound at a very fair price, the Sennheiser HD 600 Studio Recording Headphones are currently one of the best studio headphones on the market. We recommend this for anyone looking for decent headphones for music production.

Pros:

Comfortable to wear

Very durable cable

Solid flat response

Hard-hitting mids

Cons:

Somewhat weaker low and high end

3. Best Wireless Studio Headphones

Even if you are the strictest of critics, it is just difficult to fault the Beats by Dr. Dre line of headphones! While these headphones have been overly hyped by the media for a while now, the question is, are they worth the hype? We think they do. The Studio Wireless, unlike other products from the series, were made to be monitor headphones. Without the superfluously massive bass lift, they are renowned for, this pair of headphone really is a decent choice.

When it comes to the design, this pair of headphones is also praiseworthy. It comes with a sleek design and lightweight build, something that can’t be said of other models from the Beats series. Besides, this model features spongy earcups, which are covered in leather, and built of memory foam, which ensure these headphones provide maximum comfort.

Due to the fact that these headphones are wireless, the importance of battery life can’t be overemphasized. With about 12 hours of run time, the Studio Wireless studio headphone can be used for an entire day. Besides, it feature a noise cancelling feature, which is really great.

Having a one of a kind approach and a characterized audience, the Studio Wireless is a great pair of studio headphones. And with its wireless nature, it is easier to work for long hours. But with a high cost of about $400, in our opinion, this model is made for Rnb and rap enthusiasts, who simultaneously want something more stylish.

Pros:

Much improved bass control

Excellent battery life

Neat noise removal options

Smooth design

Cons:

Makes hissing sound

4. Best Quality Studio Headphones

Having dominated the audiophile headphone space for a long while, Audio-Technica offers the ATH-M50x, which we picked as the best studio headphones with regards to quality. As an improved form of the renowned M50s headphones, the M50x comes with some fresh and very helpful features. These headphones with unique earth magnets will certainly provide anyone with a special listening experience.

Ideal for safe storing and traveling, the 90 degree pivoting cups fold up deftly. Besides, these headphones are made with top-quality materials, which means they are made to serve you for a long while. When it comes to the frequency response, these headphones are nothing like other studio headphones and doesn’t have a flat frequency.

All things considered, the general adaptability that they give essentially overwhelmed the necessity for a really flat response. You can use these headphones for nearly everything, from normal music listening, to basic music producing and mixing.

Widely considered as the best sounding studio headphones for various use, the ATH-M50x is one of the best out there, at a very affordable price at that. Although some studio engineers may consider them as not good enough for music mixing, it can’t be denied that they provide real value for money.

Pros:

Amazing build quality

Very portable

Interchangeable cables

Extremely versatile

Cons:

No real cons

5. Best Looking Studio Headphones

Keeping up a cool appearance while at the same time being one of the best studio headphones, the Crossfade LP2 by V-Moda are the most attractive headphones available. With such an attractive design, you would almost mistake these for gaming headphones, as they are the ones known for their great looks. These headphones feature a plate with noticeable screws on the outside, which gives it a modern and durable look.

The drivers give a vibrant and natural highs, mids and bass, with no covering of the distinctive frequencies. Having a slight lift in the low-end should not be an issue notwithstanding for the most enthusiastic admirers of unadulterated flat response headphones. With a noise isolation feature, any external sound is canceled easily, which is vital particularly in studios.

Probably the most outstanding thing about this model is its supreme durability. It comes with ultra-reinforced cable, weather resistant earcups and a stretchy headband, which make these headphones extremely sturdy.

Being one of the best headphones as regards quality and design, the Audio-Technica Crossfade LP2S offers a great monitor experience. Besides, it looks very beautiful and is durable enough to serve you for several years to come.

Pros:

Balanced sound

Good-looking design

Astonishing durability

Solid noise isolation

Cons:

Bass boost isn’t superb

6. Best Affordable

Yeah you guessed right! The HD280 Pro is another great offering from Sennheiser. If you are in search of great, affordable studio headphones, then your search stops here. These headphones have a quite satisfying overall design. They can be folded up easily into a more compressed form, which makes them perfect for traveling music lovers.

While these headphones are made with plastic, they have a solid and comfortable feel. Besides, the headphones feature a thick and soft cushioning on the earcups and headband. The best thing about this pair from Sennheiser is that every part is replaceable (apart from the drivers), which means even if a part is accidentally broken, you are certain to easily find a new one.

When it comes to the sound, these headphones offer a noise removal feature and a great frequency range, which make them good enough for the majority of users. If you take the fair price of about $100, the HD280 Pros from Sennheiser are one of the best affordable studio headphones on the market.

7. Best Studio Headphones Under $100

While many companies have usurped Sony at the top when it comes to the manufacturing of professional studio headphones, The Sony MDR7506 is still an excellent offering from the company, with its several awesome features at a reasonable price. With its durable build, these headphones will last you for the foreseeable future.

The drives deliver a great sound, as much as 106dB, which is sufficient for daily use. Weighing just 230g, these headphones are lightweight and you won’t get fatigued wearing these all day. The headphones come with a fine design, and produces an even finer sound

According to Sony, these headphones offer a flat and nice response. But it’s been found out that the highs come out a little more than necessary. On the other hand, the mids and lows are very accurate, which makes this pair of headphone a decent choice when it comes to music mixing.

If you are on a tight budget, you can never go wrong with the Sony MDR7506 studio monitor headphones. With several features on offer, these headphones are decent enough for music production.

While many companies have usurped Sony at the top when it comes to the manufacturing of professional studio headphones, The Sony MDR7506 is still an excellent offering from the company, with its several awesome features at a reasonable price. With its durable build, these headphones will last you for the foreseeable future.

The drives deliver a great sound, as much as 106dB, which is sufficient for daily use. Weighing just 230g, these headphones are lightweight and you won’t get fatigued wearing these all day. The headphones come with a fine design, and produces an even finer sound

According to Sony, these headphones offer a flat and nice response. But it’s been found out that the highs come out a little more than necessary. On the other hand, the mids and lows are very accurate, which makes this pair of headphone a decent choice when it comes to music mixing.

If you are on a tight budget, you can never go wrong with the Sony MDR7506 studio monitor headphones. With several features on offer, these headphones are decent enough for music production.

Studio Headphones Buying Guide

Now that we are done with the introduction, it is time for us to talk about the various kinds of studio headphones. There shouldn’t be any complication in this section due to the fact that there are just two primary types of studio headphones, which are open back and closed back. While each type provide a performance intended for somewhat different things, we are assure you that both are apt any for sort of studio use.

Closed Back Headphones

The main purpose of closed back headphones is to get rid of all external noise. The part about closed pack identifies with the ability of these headphones to keep any sound from leaking out, and also to prevent any noise from coming in. This allows you to have the clearest details of the project you’re working on. With regards to studio recording, these headphones are the most suitable for recoding. While this is partially because they drown out any sounds from instruments, they also ensure the performance of that vocal talent or instrument is delivered straight into your ears. This would almost give you a feeling of the music being originated from your skull.

Open Back Headphones

Open back headphones on the other hand are quite different. While closed back headphones come with closed driver houses, these ones feature a completely see-through driver enclosure. Expectedly, these headphones’ ability to keep out external noise isn’t extremely poor, but you will be compensated with other benefits. The first benefit of open back headphones is that they introduce 3-D element to your work. This means that the sound delivered by these incredible headphones gives you an illusion of a sound stage.

Where the sound of every instrument is originating from can be easily pinpointed, an experience you wouldn’t want to trade for anything. Mostly, open back headphones are adopted for music mixing due to the fact that they provide you with a better idea of how the mix is masterminded.

What to Look For In Studio Headphones?

There is currently an overwhelming number of choices for studio headphones on the market. There are too numerous fantastic models to choose from. All things considered, there are just three requirements a good studio headphone must meet. The requirements are performance, comfort, and build quality.

Performance

Headphones performance can mean a few things. But the most vital part of studio headphones performance is their transparency or ability to deliver unaltered sound. Over that, you need a great sensitivity and good frequency range.

Comfort

Comfort, while is one of the most important parts of studio headphones, is often overlooked. Fatigue has a tendency of setting in when you wear headphones for too long. After a while, your ears begin to hurt, and you start having headache, both of which you would never like to experience while working. When it comes to headphone’s comfort, padding is very vital. You must opt for headphones with enough cushioning on the headband and the ear pads as well. While ear pads aren’t much of an issue as most headphones let you swap ear pads out, headband can be a lot difficult.

Build Quality

Build quality is another factor you must take into consideration when making your purchase. More often than not, the build quality depends on the headphones’ cost because higher-end ones are generally built to last longer. In the event that you can discover something with a metal frame and is within your budget, you are in luck. Notwithstanding, in some cases we need to manage plastic headbands, which is where you should be careful.

Differences between Studio Headphones and Regular Headphones

A few qualities make the studio headphones different from normal or DJ headphones:

Sound Signature

In a perfect world the sound signature of a studio headphone ought to be neutral. This means that on no condition should any part of its frequency get special attention. There will be an equal representation for treble, mids, and bass. Nothing should artificially raise up the vigour of the music. To put it plainly, the headphones should deliver the original sound unaltered.

There is more focus on bass in DJ headphones and normal ones, giving a more substantial sound to the audio.

Details and Extension

Regardless of whether the bass is underlined in studio headphones or not, the frequencies that they deliver ought to spread well in the higher and lower limits. At the end of the day, treble and bass ought to have great extension so that every characteristic of the music can be heard clearly. Sound itemizing is imperative amid blending. During mixing, you must pay special attention to sound detailing because if some imperfection is missed, it will be easily discovered by a perfectionist.

DJ headphones usually come with enhanced bass and great bass and treble extension. Regular headphones on the other hand may focus on bass without emphasizing on extension.

Noise Isolation

Studio sometimes can be very noise or your neighbors may choose to make noise at the exact time you’re mixing or recording. Therefore, studio headphones need to provide adequate noise isolation so the producer will be able to work.

Design

Studio headphones are usually comfortable regardless of the hours of use. Also, they usually have a plain and simple look so that no one would be tempted to take them away from the studio accidentally. They always have a durable built so that they would withstand all forms of abuse.

There is no talking about the music industry today without mentioning headphones as they are almost synonymous. Recording and mixing headphones are made in several forms, with different styles, designs, and overall functionality, with a range of different brands putting out new models every year. The most ideal headphones for you will be determined by your preferences, priorities, and personal budget, therefore it is vital to know your needs before making your purchase.

Fortunately, there is such a significant number of phenomenal models on the market that you’ll probably find several options that are perfect for you. With the perfect pair of studio headphones, you’ll always look forward to listening to music and producing great music.

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